Caged Poetry Pt. 01

"If you say so," he sighed as he searched her red face. "You can talk to me freely if you need to, Lily. I know I seem distant most of the time. I carry a lot in my head, but you are part of my work now, so we need to clearly communicate with each other. If you need to discuss something with me, please demand my attention. Don't be timid about it, okay?" he asked very seriously.

"Okay," she said with a nod. He was way more observant than she gave him credit for.

Lily greeted Fredric like she always did before she sat next to him to listen to Master Hansel's lesson. Fredric was silent as he gazed sleepily at Doc. After a science lecture on evaporation and precipitation, Doc led Fredric back into his cage and sat him at his little oak desk with his poetry book. Lily had excused herself to visit the water closet as they made the transition. Doc was already writing at his desk by the stairs when she returned. She crossed the lab and entered Fredric's cage, and greeted him again. He was staring at the poetry book on his desk as Lily sat across from him.

"What are you reading today, Fredric? May I read it too?" she asked as she waited for him to move his hands away from the book.

He slowly moved his hands and let them rest on the desk as Lily retrieved the book.

"Oh boy! I new poem again," she said with a smile. "I'll read it out loud, and we can discuss it," she said as she straightened up and gently cleared her throat...

"I dream of you, my love. I wander the halls of shadows and seek the truth in the night. My mind awakes under the stars, the moon gives my body fervor, but you sleep when my spirit stirs. How shall I reach you? I lose you in the sunlight. Like a fleeting wisp of cloud, you drift from my thoughts as I drown in a sea of longing. Meet me in the night under the clearest black sky. My thoughts are solid then, anchored before your visage, hypnotized by your starlight gaze. Be still, my heart, your violent need for love will render its temple useless."

Lily stared at the poem in amazement after she finished reading it. It reminded her of the dark figure she saw in the hall the first night she arrived. She looked at Fredric with wide eyes for a moment, wondering if he chose that poem for that reason. The thought of it frightened her. There was no possible way the person she encountered that night was him. She was more ready to believe she had seen Death himself than Fredric wandering the halls at night.

"Fredric... why did you pick this poem?" she whispered as she studied his face.

He was still staring at his desk as if he didn't hear her question. After a long moment of silence, she sighed and shook her head. She was being paranoid. She truly wanted to believe there was a meaning behind the poems Fredric chose for her to read. She wanted him to secretly admire her. She wanted to think he was making an effort to express himself to her, but she had no clue what was going on behind his beautiful hazel eyes. For all she knew, he was choosing the poems randomly.

"Well, I think that poem was very beautiful," she said softly as she let her gaze drift back to the pages. "It makes me feel lonely and sad, though. I'm sorry, Fredric. I'm feeling a bit dispirited today. I wish I could do more for you," she whispered as she gently set the book back between his hands.

The instant the book touched the desk, Fredric's hands jumped to hers and gently squeezed them, preventing her from pulling away. Her heart leaped in her chest as she looked at his face. Tears were in his eyes as he stared at their hands. His breathing was upset, like he was fighting an inner battle. Lily's heart was racing as she reveled in his warm touch. That confirmed everything for her. He was trying.

"Don't cry, Fredric. This is wonderful," she whispered with a gulp as she watched tears drip down his face.

She felt his fingertips gently sliding back and forth over her skin, exploring her hands and wrists. His breathing calmed as he continued the gentle caressing motion. It was making Lily feel warm all over. A few seconds later, he raised his eyes and looked at her for the first time in over a week. Her heart swelled in her chest as she met his brilliant gaze. It was more beautiful than she remembered, and life and clarity shined in it. His breathing went shaky again a few seconds later. Then he dropped his eyes and released her, pulling his hands into his lap. The magical moment had ended. He had retreated back into himself in less than an instant.

Lily was leaning on the desk with her heart pounding. She suddenly wondered if she had imagined what happened, but the cold on her hands from losing Fredric's warmth proved that she didn't. She slowly pulled her hands back to herself and rubbed them for a moment. Fredric's gaze had returned to its normal sleepy stare towards the top of the desk.

"Thank you for that, Fredric," she whispered, feeling a little shaken. "I know that took a lot of effort. I'll read a little more before I go," she whispered as she picked up the book again.

Lily read two more poems before she bid a fond farewell to Fredric and left him alone in his cage. Doc was astounded when she told him what happened. He thoroughly praised Lily before she escaped the lab for lunch. She didn't feel that she deserved any praise for it. Fredric was the one struggling to communicate, not her. She was in a good mood for the rest of the day as she remembered Fredric's clear gaze and gentle touch. They had made a powerful connection at that moment. It was like he reached into her chest and touched her heart, pleading with her not to lose hope in him. Death himself couldn't scare Lily away from Fredric after that.

She returned to the lab bright and early the next morning. She sat through her lesson with Master Hansel and then joined Fredric in his cage to read poetry. She picked up the book to discover it was on the same poem she read the day before. She wondered if he was trying to tell her something with that particular poem as it declared, "My mind awakes under the stars, the moon gives my body fervor, but you sleep when my spirit stirs. How shall I reach you? I lose you in the sunlight."

As she read it out loud, she left her hand resting on his desk close to his. She shuddered with delight when she felt his warm fingers slide over the back of her hand until his palm came to rest on top of it. She stopped reading for a moment and smiled as her heart fluttered in her chest. She gulped and began reading again to keep the moment relaxed. She slowly turned her hand under his until it was palm-up. Then she very gently wrapped her fingers around his wrist and squeezed it. She smiled when she felt his fingers return her gesture. She dared a glance at his face to see his eyes closed. There was a soft smile on his lips that made her heart double its fluttering.

After many minutes of reading and hand-holding, Lily sensed their time was almost up. She glanced across the lab to see Doc Hansel waving at her and pointing to his pocket watch. It was time for lunch. Fredric had sensed her attention shift and suddenly pulled his hand away from hers and placed it in his lap. She looked at him in surprise to see that he had retreated again. His gaze had settled blankly on the desk. It was time for her to go.

"I really enjoyed reading with you and holding your hand, Fredric. You have no idea how happy it makes me," she whispered, knowing he understood her. "Fredric... are you trying to tell me something with that poem? Are you trying to tell me to visit you at night?" she whispered as she carefully studied his expression.

His breathing had increased, and his brow looked tense. Then he gave her a quick glance, fully meeting her eyes for a fraction of a second before looking down again. The pleading look he had given her in that instant answered her question. He wanted to see her at night. She gulped as she leaned back in her chair with her heart pounding. She couldn't forget how he acted towards her in the dim light that first day. The thought of meeting him at night scared her.

"Fredric... I will try to come to you at night sometime this week, but I'm not sure that I can. Either way, I will see you tomorrow morning. Goodbye for now," she whispered before she laid the poem book on the desk and left his cage.

Lily told Master Hansel what happened. She left out a few parts. She didn't want him thinking she would attempt to sneak into the lab one night, even though she was seriously considering it at that point. She pushed the thought from her head and went about her day as usual.

As she settled into bed that night, she couldn't stop thinking about Fredric. She imagined him sitting in the dark in his cage, fully alert and longing to see her. The idea that enthralled her the most was the possibility of him speaking to her at night. He had been abused into acting like a statue in the light and a vampire in the dark. He was slowly coming back to his senses when she read him poetry during the day. What if that progress had also affected how he acted at night? She drifted off to sleep as she internally debated her many theories.

Lily was startled awake by a familiar clank of a lamp globe being pushed back into place. She peeked over her blanket to see Ruby sneaking out again. She smiled and listened as her friend left the room and locked the door behind her. Lily's eyes drifted to the wall beside the door, where she saw something familiar shining in the moonlight. She gasped when she realized it was their room key still hanging on the nail. She sat up in bed and stared at it for a moment.

"I'm such an idiot," she groaned. "Ruby has a master key. She used it to enter Doc's room that night," she whispered in realization. "Hmm, I wonder if Doc actually locks his lab at night? It wasn't locked that first day I visited," she mumbled.

She was suddenly presented with an excellent opportunity. Ruby and Doc were both going to be occupied for the next two hours. She could easily sneak down to the lab, check the door, and sneak back before anyone discovered her missing. She hopped out of bed and pulled on her slippers without a second thought. She grabbed the room key and hurried into the hall with her candle.

The thought of seeing Fredric at night had her heart racing and her stomach fluttering as she rushed down the chilly hallways. She was slightly winded when she finally arrived at the cellar access. As she stepped into the barren corridor that led to the lab, a sudden realization sent terror up her spine. She had completely forgotten about the dark entity she saw in the upper hall a week earlier. It could have followed her down there without her realizing it. It didn't really matter at that point. She finally had her hand on the doorknob to the lab. She gulped as she squeezed it and attempted to open it. To her complete astonishment, the knob turned, and the latch clicked open.

She smiled and rushed through the door, leaving it slightly ajar behind her. She was still smiling as she carefully walked down the steps and into the lab. The air was still warm from the fire burning low in the hearth on the back wall. She didn't pause until she came in view of Fredric's cage. The moonlight had illuminated the area almost as well as sunlight. She froze and lost her enthusiasm when she saw his cage door standing wide open. She had assumed Doc Hansel closed it at night. Horror crept over Lily when she saw no sign of Fredric. His bed was empty, and the manacle that usually stayed on his ankle was lying open on the floor next to the bed.

A cold trembling seized Lily's limbs as she stared at the empty cage. Her mind was racing to understand how this could have happened. Her first guess was Doc Hansel had decided to move Fredric to a different room at night. That was a perfectly good explanation. Fredric's behavior was often manageable after he was medicated. He didn't have to be condemned to the cage all the time. She took a deep breath and let that thought comfort her for a moment, but all her comfort was lost when a dark shadow fell over her from behind.

She caught her breath and froze as she sensed a warm body standing close to her. Her eyes drifted to the floor where her shadow had been dwarfed by the silhouette of the man who had sneaked up behind her. She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. Her heart was pounding frantically as she experienced true terror for the first time in her life. Every second felt like a painful eternity as she waited to be attacked. She gasped when warm arms suddenly wrapped around her from behind in a gentle embrace. She made a helpless whimper of astonishment before the room went blurry, and she felt herself fainting.

When Lily found consciousness again, she slowly opened her eyes and observed her surroundings before moving. She was sitting in a chair with her head and arms resting on Fredric's little oak desk. She was in his cage, bathed in moonlight spilling through the arched windows. Her dark hair was draped around her head and face. Someone had taken it out of the bun she put it in before bed. She heard the gentle sliding sound of a page being turned, and she had a good idea who was close to her. With the caution of a person in striking distance of a pit viper, Lily very slowly straightened up in her chair until her eyes rested on the person sitting across from her. It was Fredric.

He was leaning back in his chair, relaxed, and contentedly reading the poem book by moonlight. He was as handsome as ever in his linen shirt and brown slacks. His soft brown hair had paled to dark blond in the moonlight. It lay in careless thick locks over his forehead. There was a soft smile on his lips as his eyes slowly drifted from his book to Lily. Her heart sputtered a little when his gaze settled on her. He took a deep breath as his eyes drifted over her face and hair for a moment, then he turned his gaze back to his book.

Lily's heart had cooled its racing as she watched him. He didn't seem threatening at that moment, but she couldn't drop her guard yet.

"I'll try not to hurt you, Lily," he whispered in a low handsome voice, sending her heart racing again for different reasons. "My mind is clearer at night, but it's not healthy," he whispered sadly as he placed his book on his desk and took a deep breath. "I can find words sometimes, but not always," he said as his gaze fell sleepily to the floor.

"I see," she stammered, wanting to find her own voice again.

He closed his eyes and smiled after she spoke.

"Your voice sounds different at night," he whispered in amazement. "It's like a warm summer breeze on my skin."

Lily couldn't keep from smiling after that comment. He was finally acting like the person she often imagined he could be.

"Your voice is just as beautiful," she said as she placed her hand on the desk, offering it to him again.

His gaze settled on it for a moment. Then he slowly reached over and picked it up. Lily gulped as he slowly pulled her hand to his angelic face and rested his warm cheek against her palm. The satisfaction that rolled through her at that point was borderline erotic, and when he gently turned his head and pressed his lips to her wrist, she shuddered in pure delight.

"I love how you smell," he breathed as he pressed his nose against her wrist and inhaled. "It makes me feel happy," he whispered with a smile.

Lily's heart was pounding as she watched and felt him kiss her wrist and palm. It satisfied something inside her that she couldn't even begin to explain. She simply knew it felt good and right. She wished she could sit with him like that all night, but she had already lost track of time after fainting. She feared Ruby or Doc might come into the lad looking for her and find Fredric completely unrestrained.

"Fredric... how did you escape your chain?" she whispered.

"I'm good at picking locks. Doc doesn't know," he whispered with a smirk.

She burst into giggles at that revelation. Fredric looked at her and gave her a beautiful smile.

"I love hearing you laugh," he whispered.

"I love hearing you speak," she whispered happily.

"I'm glad. I try so hard to speak to you during the day, but it's like the words are locked inside me," he said sadly.

"I know," she sighed in pity as she caressed his cheek and ran her fingers into his soft hair. He leaned into her touch with a look of perfect contentment on his face.

Suddenly, the soft squeak of a door hinge caught their attention. Fredric's head snapped to the right as he let out an angry hiss through his teeth. Lily jerk her hand away from him, slightly terrified by the change in his demeanor. His breathing was excited as he glared at the stairs. Lily was suddenly terrified that someone would enter the lab and provoke him even more. She had relaxed her guard to an idiotic level. Fredric had ripped a man's throat out with his teeth, and she was sitting in his cage petting his head like he was an adorable puppy. She had to calm him down before someone got hurt again.

"Fredric..." she whispered, causing his angry eyes to jump to her.

Her heart lurched to be the focus of his menacing glare again. He let out a hissing laugh as a wicked smile spread over his lips. He saw fear in her eyes and it delighted him. She had lost the sweet angel she was speaking to earlier. The demon was back. Doc Hansel's warnings came back to her in that terrifying instant. Fear provoked him. She would have to keep herself under control if she wanted to escape. She gulped and forced herself to breathe slowly. It was difficult to calm her heart under his sinister smile.

"Fredric," she said in an even tone. "You are not a monster. I will not tolerate this ridiculous hissing and growling," she snapped, letting her growing anger calm her fear.

His expression softened after she reprimanded him. His tense posture relaxed as he leaned back in his chair again. She could see his eyes studying her with renewed interest.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Lily's brow lifted in astonishment at his question.

"Fredric... I'm Lily. Your friend," she said in disbelief.

"I don't have any friends," he whispered coldly. His eyes were still scrutinizing her.

"Well... I'm sorry to disappoint you, Fredric, but you do have friends. Me and Master Hansel are your friends," she stated as she crossed her arms over her chest. She was hurt and confused by their conversation.

Fredric laughed heartily at her declaration. He sounded genuinely amused by it, and his handsome laugh made her heart ache. He was charming in spite of his madness.

"Where did my angel go?" she asked sadly. Tears were threatening to drip from her eyes.

His eyes narrowed under his brooding brow. A smirk was still at the corner of his mouth. She didn't like this new Fredric at all.

"He's in here somewhere, being a pathetic coward," he scoffed as he picked up the poem book and flipped carelessly through the pages.

Lily watched in growing distress as he began ripping pages out of the book. He would quickly crumble them and toss them across his cage.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"I'm fucking sick of some of these poems. He reads them over and over again while fantasizing about you. It makes me want to hang myself," he growled as he ripped out another page and tossed it across the room.

"Stop it!" she yelled as she stood and slammed her hands down on the desk.

He let out a hissing breath as he slowly turned his furious gaze on her. Her heart sputtered again. She immediately regretted her actions, but she kept her expression steady. She couldn't show him fear.

"Why are you yelling at me?" he growled. "Why are you even in here, Lily? What did you hope to accomplish tonight?" he whispered with a threat in his voice as he closed the book and placed it on the desk between her hands.

She gulped as he quickly stood and leaned on the desk, getting right in her face. He placed his hands on top of hers, squeezing her wrists with his fingers. Their noses were almost touching. Lily's chest was aching from the manic pounding inside it.